Sweetheart
by hopefulheart108
Summary: Hope decided to visit her friends, giving a special sweet for each one.
1. Macarons

It was another sunny day in the Hidden Kingdom as Apetrully waits in front of Hope's tree house, hoping she's not busy today. With every chance he gets, he would try to hang out the pink and white monkey. Once Hope said that she might go to Japan someday, the commander try to spend any moment with her until that day comes.

Apetrully pays his attention to the front door, seeing Hope opening the door. The pink and white monkey smiled when she saw the commander, and said, "Hello, Apetrully. Another visit?"

The commander's face blush a little, and thought, _I guess I have been visiting her more than usual. Well, that's because I don't know when she's going to leave the Hidden Kingdom!_

"Come in. Come in. It's just great to have some company." Hope said.

As the two walk to the living room, trying not to be so quiet with her, Apetrully said, "Um... Anything new?"

"Well... I became Pinkie Pie's apprentice!" Hope said as the two sit on the living room's couch.

"I thought you wanted to become an author, not a baker nor a chef." Apetrully said.

"Baker? Oh, I mean, um... I think it's nice to have a second choice. Just in case the author thing doesn't work out for me."

Apetrully felt a little confuse. He couldn't think what else Pinkie could do besides parties and baking. Hope coughed a little, hoping to get his attention, and said, "Want to have some macarons?"

The commander nodded.

"Great!" Hope said, patting the pink box on her lap that seem to come out of nowhere.

Apetrully smiled behind his mask. He could remember that rainy day when he was eating macarons with Hope. At the same day, he realize his love for the pink and white monkey. It been a while since the two ate macarons together.

When Hope open the box, the commander suddenly found his heart pounding a bit, seeing the shape of these pink and red macarons.

"Don't you think they're cute?" Hope ask. "They're just strawberry, but they're in the shapes of hearts! You know I love hearts."

_You know... It's hard to keep feelings from a friend. Especially one who seems to be a symbol of Valentine's Day. _Apetrully thought, taking a macaron.

Taking a bite out of her treat, Hope said, "When do you think I should leave for Japan?"

_NEVER! Please don't go! _Apetrully wanted to say, but didn't. Even he doesn't know how he hides his feelings.

"I'm not sure." was the commander's answer to her, then he bit into the pink snack.

"Oh, I'm still trying to find out what day I should leave so I could give a proper goodbye to my friends." Hope said.

The commander's blush grow a bit stronger as Hope lay her head on his lap.

"I hope you don't mind." Hope said with a smile.

"Um... N-Not at all." Apetrully shuttered.

"Good."

The commander could see Hope staring at the ceiling, eating the heart-shaped macarons slowly. Apetrully place a hand on Hope's head to give a little pet and said, "Is something the matter?"

"It's just I'm not sure what I should do as a goodbye for my friends." Hope said.

"Hope, anyway you do for a goodbye, we will still miss you once you do." Apetrully said.

"I don't want you to miss me so much."

"Well, we can't help it, like how you can't help feel depress about you mother's death."

Apetrully froze and quickly added, "Please forget I said that."

"I guess you're right." Hope said.

The pink and white monkey sit up and went to the kitchen. Apetrully waited, eating the strawberry macarons as he wonder what's Hope's plan. His eyes landed on the kitchen's entrance when he notice Hope.

Hope wore a bright red hoodie like she was Little Red Riding Hood, and held a rather large picnic basket. As she walk towards the door to leave her tree house, Apetrully heard Hope said, "Apetrully, can you please take care of my tree house while I'm out?"

Apetrully nodded. Before Hope left, she said, "Goodbye, sweetheart."

_Sweetheart!? Why did she say that?! _Apetrully thought, as his blush turns red.

Then he was able to hear Hope's faint singing that almost made him feel like Hope knows something.

Hope: **When we first met, I feel nostalgic**

**I might have known you from somewhere before...**


	2. Pudding

"Hm... Where should I go to first?" Hope ask herself, walking around the forest. "Maybe I should visit Lin Chung, or maybe I should go to Big Green to make it easier to meet more of my friends, or maybe..."

What Hope doesn't notice was the Zebra Brothers were hiding in the bushes, spying on the pink and white monkey.

"Zebra Brothers? Where?" Hope said, turning to the bushes, which is the same time the zebras quickly hide into the bushes. "I don't see anyone."

"How did she know?" Sparky Black whispered to his brother.

"I don't know." Sparky White whispered back.

Hope shrugged, and walk away. She's still a beginner fourth wall breaker, so she can't hear everything I type. The Zebra Brothers poke their heads out of the bushes, and Sparky White ask, "Why are we spying on her? Is she a member of Big Green? Or is she just living there?"

"I don't know! But we do know that their commander really likes to hang out with her, so that must mean he must have told her some of Big Green's secrets." Sparky Black said, looking at his twin brother.

"I guess that makes some sense." Sparky White said, still not that sure about it. "What are we going to do with her?"

"I was hoping Master Highroller would get a idea when we capture her."

"Really? I was hoping you wouldn't do it and maybe we can hang out."

The zebras felt arms around them as Hope held them close to her. The two zebras squirmed, but the pink and white monkey squeeze tightly with a big smile on her face. Sparky Black shivered a bit, remembering what Hope did to him during the pocky games. He doesn't want to know what she's going to do to them once she heard their plans. Maybe something not very good.

The Zebra Brothers let out whimpers, squeezing their eyes tightly as Hope place them on the bottom of a tree.

"Geez... What do you think I'm going to do to you?" They heard Hope said.

The two open their eyes to see a red and white picnic blanket spread out in front of them with Hope sitting on it and a picnic basket next to her. The Zebra Brothers look confuse as the pink and white monkey let out a small sigh.

"Sit down with me." Hope commanded.

The zebra twins gulped and sit down in front of her. Hope open her basket and pull out a couple of custard puddings on plates from it. Placing the two plates and small spoons in front of the zebras, Hope happily smiles, which the zebras found weird. They never got treated this nicely before.

The zebras just watch as Hope pick up her plate and started to eat her caramel custard pudding. Before the pink and white monkey could put the spoon in her mouth, her pink eyes landed on the zebras, making them jump a bit.

"Where aren't you eating?" Hope ask.

The zebras pick up their own plates, and quickly eat up their own puddings. Hope slowly frown and said, "I'm serious. I'm not going to do anything bad to you."

"You're just saying that!" Sparky Black shouted, pointing at Hope.

When he notice Hope slowly narrow her eyes at him, he quickly hide behind his brother. Hope smiled and said, "I'm sorry for beating you up before."

The zebras raised an eyebrow at this.

"Why are you saying this now?" Sparky Black ask. "Why didn't you say that before this!?"

"I was busy." Hope said, keeping that smile on her face. "Besides, you should be glad that I'm apologizing instead of beating you up right now since I heard your plans to kidnap me."

The zebras gulped.

"Now... Let's try this again." Hope said, taking out two more plates of pudding and place them in front of the zebras. "This time, we'll eat slowly and talk."

"At the same time?" Sparky White said.

There was a deadpan look on Hope's face, and Hope said, "What do you think?"

"No same time?" Sparky White said.

"No same time." Hope said.

The Zebra Brothers sighed and started to eat their pudding slowly.

"So..." Hope slowly started. "Huh... I can't really think of anything right now."

"Then why are you letting us eat your pudding?" Sparky Black ask.

"Well, besides the beating up apologizing, I hoped we can become friends." Hope said with a smile.

The Zebra Brothers look at each other, then at Hope, and said, "No way."

Hope pouted angrily and stood up. She pull the picnic blanket from under them and quickly pick up the utensils to put them in the basket. The zebras were covered in pudding while on the ground.

"Hey!" Sparky White shouted.

The pink and white monkey smiled and said, "Hm... I wonder if Lin Chung is in the forest today?"

Once the zebras heard that, they quickly ran away for their lives. Hope chuckled, and said, "That's for not being nice~. I'm not always a sweetheart to everyone."

She look around and said, "But I really do wonder if Lin Chung is here."


	3. Fruit Tarts

Silence... That's all the harmonic warrior could heard, mediating in the calm bamboo forest. Lin Chung was enjoying this silence that doesn't really happen much in First Squad's briefing room as he sat on the ground until...

"Lin Chung!"

His dark eyes darted towards the spot of red, white, and pink in the distance which slowly form into the monkey he knows, or at least the only monkey he knows. Hope ran towards him until she's in front of the harmonic warrior.

"Hello, Lin Chung." Hope said.

Lin Chung let out a small sigh of disappointment for his silent day ruin because of the monkey, but have a small smile appear on his face as he said to her, "Hello, Hope. What are you doing here?"

"I was just hoping if you could have a nice snack with me." Hope said.

"Sure." Lin Chung said.

"Yay!"

Hope look out her red and white picnic on the ground and sat down on it. Looking around in her picnic basket, she ask, "So, what do you want? Pie... cookies... cake... Chocolate... um..."

"All you have is sweets?" Lin Chung said, sitting next to her.

"You know me, a sweets monkey." Hope said, smiling.

"It seems to be kind of unhealthy to eat so much of them."

"Hey, I eat healthy stuff too. It's just I _LOVE_ sweets."

Lin Chung sweatdropped and said, "Alright... I have some of that fruit tart."

"Okay." Hope said.

The tart Hope gave him was about the size of his hand, maybe smaller, and have mostly sliced strawberries than the blueberries and mango slices. Lin Chung knew that the monkey did like strawberries as well as bananas. As Lin Chung took a small bite out of the tart, Hope ask, "Hm... What would you do if we're stuck on a island?"

"That came out of nowhere." Lin Chung said.

"Trying to have a conversation."

"Well... I'm not sure. Depends on what's on the island."

""Um... You know, normal island stuff. Jungles, beaches, quarries, grassy fields, a volcano and stuff like that. Something like islands in some of my games, only without the secret lab since it would make a bit easier."

Lin Chung gave her a look of confusion about the 'secret lab' part, but answered, "Survive, of course, until I find a way to be saved or find a way back to Big Green."

"I guess that was very obvious." Hope said.

The silence seem to came back as the two ate fruit tarts. Soon, Lin Chung thought, _It's odd. When I want to meditate or paint, I want some silence. When Hope comes along, I don't want the silence._

"Lin Chung," Hope said.

"Yes?" Lin Chung said.

The harmonic warrior notice seriousness slowly appearing on the monkey's face.

"Can you keep a secret?" Hope ask, making Lin Chung nod. "Good."

"Why do you ask?" Lin Chung said, wondering if he wants to know.

"Well... You know how many people wants to know how my mother... you know, right?"

Lin Chung nod, then took a bit out of the tart.

"If you Pinkie Pie promise that you would never ever tell anyone about it, I'll tell you." Hope said.

The harmonic warrior was surprised. Hope never told anyone about it, not even the commander and he's her closest friend, but she decided to tell him if he does this small, silly task.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Lin Chung said, doing the gestures.

Hope let out small giggles until her face suddenly turn serious as she move closer towards the harmonic warrior until their faces are one inch apart away from each other. In a small whisper, Lin Ching was able to hear Hope say, "I don't know."

Lin Chung's eyes widen as they move away from each other. There was a long silence between the two, as Lin Chung still feels so shock by this information. How could Hope not know her own mother's death?

"How? How do you not know?" Lin Chung ask.

A look of sadness was on Hope's face as she look down.

"All I heard she was died from the rumors around Monkey Castle, but how she died was never mentioned. I tried to find out out how, but no answer to it. It haunts that I don't know."

The harmonic warrior could see Hope shivering, but she continues to talk.

"It haunts me that I may never know how she died. I can't know that she died peacefully, painfully, in an accident, or did someone tried to kill her? I don't know. I just don't know."

Hope was really shaken until she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her, pulling her into a hug against Lin Chung's chest. The monkey's cheeks turned slightly red as her eyes widen a bit.

"I kind of know how you feel." Hope heard Lin Chung said in such a quiet tone, feeling a small tear land on her furry head. "I know that he died of old age, but I know the pain of losing someone."

The pink and white monkey slowly begin to realize who he's talking about.

"Lin Chung..." Hope slowly said.

"Hope, if I can get used to that knowledge, then you should too." Lin Chung said, gently petting her head.

It was silence between them for quite a long time until Hope said, "Maybe I'll try, but it will take a very long time."

"I understand." Lin Chung said as they separate.

Hope pack up her things and started to head toward Big Green. Lin Chung watch her go with a fruit tart in his hand. There was a small smile on his face as he wish Hope gets better with her problems.

_Hope can be a sweetheart and I hope she gets used to the fact her mother is gone. _Lin Chung thought.

Then he took a small bite out of his tart.


	4. Donuts

"Ah... It's good to be back at Big Green. I think I left my yellow favorite hoodie with the cute ears in my room." Hope softly said, entering her room. "After that, I'll visit the others and have sweets with them."

When she enter her room, the pink and white monkey notice it was dark.

_Weird. I usually like to keep the lights in my room when I'm away so when I get back, I can see everything. _Hope thought.

Hope turn on the lights with a simple switch. She heard a loud scream from her bed, making her let out a shout of surprise. Her pink eyes landed on her bed, where she could see a large lump under the covers. A familiar face peek out of the covers and Hope was surprised to see who it it.

"Kowloon!? Why in the world are you doing in my room!?" Hope shouted, pointing at the warrior.

Kowloon nervously chuckled as he got out of the covers.

"Let me explain." Kowloon said.

"Why do you have my laptop?! Wait, how do you even know the password to it!?" Hope shouted.

"1234 is not a good password." Kowloon said.

_Should have gone with my last name. Only very few people knows it and they live outside of Big Green. _Hope thought, then she heard a sound from her bed, which sounds like someone eating chips.

"Are you eating my secret stash of chips and candy!?" Hope shouted.

"You're not that good when it comes to hiding food." Kowloon said, eating some chips.

Hope puff out her cheeks and shouted, "YOU BETTER EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON!?"

"That's what I was trying to do but you kept interrupting me." Kowloon said.

"Explain... NOW!" Hope said.

"Alright."

"You been doing this while I'm gone, haven't you?"

"Some of the others been doing this too."

Hope's jaw dropped and she said, "The others too!? Why would you?"

"Hey, you have awesome technology we've never seen before. Do you think we would miss that opportunity?" Kowloon said.

_Note to self: Have lots of locks on the door. _Hope thought.

"Also... How do you play these games!?" Kowloon said, looking at the screen of Hope's laptop.

Hope walk over to the warrior and look at the laptop's screen. It was one of the horror RPG games she downloaded.

"You're not freaked out that I play these kind of games?" Hope said, very confuse.

"I found out about these games like a month ago." Kowloon said. "Still, I'm surprise that you like these stuff."

"How long have the members been using my room for entertainment? Also, I find them interesting for the story."

"We been using your room since you moved out of Big Green for a week."

"Is my stuff really that entertaining?"

"Come on, you have stuff we never seen before, movies, games, and stuff like that. Besides, nothing was damaged, right?"

"You ate my snacks!"

"Still... You also have snacks we can never get. By the way, how did you get these stuff?"

"Snacks, just some towns in the Hidden Kingdom. Electronics, just something my mom gave me a year before she... you know."

There was some awkward silence between two until Hope said as she held up her basket, "Snacks?"

"Sure." Kowloon said, kind of confuse that she would be nice to him even though he kind of broke into her room. "I'll take a donut."

Kowloon took out a chocolate glazed donut from the picnic basket and took a bite out of it. He went back to Hope's laptop, making Hope have a deadpan look on her face. She wished she known about the members' desire for her stuff.

"By the way, why are you here?" Kowloon ask.

"I just wanted to have a special snack with a friend." Hope said, smiling.

"Oh."

The deadpan look appear back on the monkey's face as Kowloon went back to her laptop.

_Make sure to have locks for everything. _Hope thought, picking up a pink frosted donut with rainbow sprinkles.

As Kowloon was about to reach for another donut, his hand suddenly jerk away when a scream from the laptop.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" Kowloon shouted, pressing a button on the laptop.

"Mad Father?"

"Yes and... Finally!"

_I think my laptop turned him into a bit of a gamer. Then again, I don't know that. _Hope thought.

Hope blinked a few times. Now seeing Kowloon seems to be too into the game (and the donuts), Hope let out a sigh and said, "Bye, Kowloon..."

"Yeah. Bye." Kowloon said with his eyes glued on the screen.

_That's what technology like that can do to you, but once he finish it, he'll get bored of it... until he plays the other games. I'm kind of getting worry about him now. I'll deal with it later. _Hope thought, picking up her picnic basket.

Hope walk out of her room, hoping to remember to get locks and wanting to eat some sweets with her friends. Kowloon notice a plate of donuts next to him and thought, _Sweet, free donuts._


	5. Milkshakes

"Alpha Girl?" Hope softly whispered, peaking into the leader of Second Squad's room.

All she could see was darkness and the pink and white monkey said, "Why is it so dark in here?"

Hope turn on the lights, getting a shout from the bed, along with a "Huh? What? Hope?!"

With the lights on, Hope could see Alpha Girl in her bed... while wearing an adorable, light yellow coat with a hoodie that have cat ears, a cat tail, long, oversized sleeves, and goes beyond her ankles over her normal clothes. Hope's jaw dropped, but she soon smiled.

"You're wearing the cute coat I gave you for Christmas!" Hope exclaimed for joy.

"Don't say that out loud!" Alpha Girl shouted, putting the hood down. "Why are you even here anyway?"

"I was hoping to have a snack with my friend."

"If I do, can you never mention this to anyone as long as you live?"

"Deal."

Hope happily walk over to the leader's room, shutting the door behind her, and ask as she open her basket, "Which one do you want?"

Alpha Girl's eyes widen and said, "You have milkshakes and they're still cold?"

Second Squad's leader took out a chocolate milkshake from the picnic basket and took a sip of it with a straw. Her eyes were still widen when she said, "And it's not very melted. Is your basket part fridge or something?"

"Nope." Hope said, taking out a vanilla milkshake.

"How... Never mind." Alpha Girl said.

As Alpha Girl drinks some of her milkshake, she notice Hope looking at her with a wide smile and the leader ask, "What are you looking at?"

"You're actually wearing the coat I've gave you." Hope said. "I never seen you wear it until now."

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't be caught dead in this thing, so I just wear it when I'm sleeping in my room." Alpha Girl said.

"Well... At least you're actually wearing it instead of storing it away like some people do."

"Yeah... It's pretty comfy, but I'm not wearing it outside of this room."

Hope awed in disappointment, then sipped her vanilla milkshake.

"Why were you sleeping in your room now? Don't you have to be in the briefing room?" Hope ask.

"The commander gave Second Squad a break before he decided to visit you." Alpha Girl explained.

"Oh... That explains why Kowloon was in my room."

"I guess you know about..."

"Yes. Why did Big Green decided to use my room as some kind of playroom when I'm gone?!"

"Your stuff is much better than training."

_Make sure to have make locks. I don't want Big Green to become a giant couch potato because I have better technology compared to the rest of the Hidden Kingdom. I wonder if there's anyone else who have the same level of technology as me. I would be glad if Big Green would use their stuff instead of mine. _Hope thought.

"Kowloon seems to really like your games." Alpha Girl suddenly mentioned.

"Yeah, right now, I can tell he likes the horror games I have."

Alpha Girl look uneasy when Hope said that. The pink and white monkey raise an eyebrow and ask, "What's wrong?"

"I just think it's strange that you like the horror stuff. I expect you like the cute, fantasy junk." Alpha Girl said.

"I like some that stuff too, and I prefer the horror RPG games or anything with a story."

_I have no idea what that is. _Alpha Girl thought, confuse.

There was some awkward silence between them. Hope blinked a few times, and ask, "Um... You know, we've never hang out like this before."

"Yeah." Alpha Girl said.

"I got a question." Hope said.

"What?"

"Do you use my room for your own personal use?"

"Still angry about that?"

"Of course. I don't think you would like it if everyone come into your room and use your stuff.

"I guess you're right about that. I just use your bed for naps and sometimes watch TV."

Hope's face slowly look deadpan, but soften a bit. She let out a small sigh and said, "I have to go. Hope to see you later."

"Yeah, see you later." Alpha Girl said.

As Hope slowly exit out the door, Alpha Girl thought, _Okay, maybe using her room isn't a great idea anymore._

Then she took a sip of her chocolate milkshake.


	6. Cookies

Upon entering her friend's room, Hope's cheeks were being squeezed by the owner of the room: Sonia. Sonia let out a small squeal and said, "You're here!"

"Yes... Stop squeezing me." Hope said.

"Sorry. It's just you look so cute in that hood. It makes you look like Red Riding Hood~." Sonia said.

Hope pouted cutely yet angrily, and said in a disappointed tone, "Boo. Boo. Boo~."

Sonia try to cover up her giggle with her hand and ask, "What was that?"

"I don't know. I've seen it from somewhere and thought I should try it." Hope said. "What do you think?"

"It just made you cuter than before." Sonia lightly squealed, gently pinches the monkey's cheek.

Hope pouted once more and thought, _I'm more than just cute._

"So, what are you doing here?" Sonia ask.

"Just wanting to have a snack with a friend." Hope said.

* * *

><p>Later... They were at Sonia's bed, eating cookie of every kind. Hope begin to realize something while eating a chocolate chip cookie.<p>

"I just realize that some of the members seems to be taking breaks, including you." Hope said.

"Well... Just don't tell the commander, but..." Sonia slowly said as Yaksha picks up a couple of sugar cookies for later. "Some of the members have been taking breaks while he's gone to your tree house."

_Not only the war seems to relax, even with Twins Master, but even Big Green is relaxing more. It's so odd. I thought there would be more action around. _Hope thought, watching Sonia eat some gingerbread men. _I wonder if this relaxing thing is because of me and my stuff._

"I can't believe that things are so calm lately." Hope said.

"Yeah, I can't remember the last time I had fun with someone who likes some girly things." Sonia said. "Alpha Girl isn't really a fan of the girly things in life, Rosefinch is usually busy, Rattle Diva usually practices in the mountains, and Lady Green is pretty much busy too."

_I've rarely hang out with Rattle Diva a few times, but she's great when you want music. I showed Alpha Girl some girly things and she doesn't seem to mind it. As for Rosefince, Sonia was kind of right, but she's pretty fun. _Hope thought.

"I've actually never been able to hang out with Lady Green much. I've always thought she was very serious and won't like the kind of fun I like." Hope said, trying to wipe some crumbs way from her cheeks.

"She's not that serious. Sometimes, I caught her going to your room a few times before. Even with a few crumbs on her face." Sonia said, trying to eat more cookies.

Hope smiled and thought, _So I do have a chance with her. Yet I'm wishing that I remember locks for my room._

The pink and white monkey felt a tug on her hood and notice Sonia holding on her hood with a wide smile as if she wants something. Hope seems to know what's that something is as she said, "Sonia, no! I'm not going to buy you a dress of each Lolita style. I don't think I have enough money for that."

"And yet you have technology that only very few of the Hidden Kingdom have." Sonia said, trying to keep her smile on her face.

"Alright, but I'll buy one Lolita dress." Hope said.

"Good enough."

There was some silence, except for the sounds of munching cookies. Sonia slowly glance at the pink and white monkey and ask, "What was your life like before you came here? Your life in Monkey Castle."

"I've took you before," Hope said, hoping to find a way to stray away from the Monkey Castle topic. "My life at Monkey Castle was kind of bad, but it's pretty good when my mom was there."

"Yeah... But there should be more than that." Sonia said. "It couldn't be all bad."

"Well... I can't remember much. I could just remember some of the good times with my mom. Those times when we have sweets together after her work, those times we play outside..."

"And those jewelry, where did you get them? It got to be impossible if she just bought them all. Did she steal them?!"

"No! Of course not! Actually there were twins, a boy and a girl, who sometimes came to the Hidden Kingdom for some important business, and they're actually pretty close friends with my mom."

Sonia look at Hope with great interest. Hope was never this open with her past like this.

"They were humans and yet they look different from the humans I usually see." Hope said.

"What does this have to do with the jewelry?" Sonia said.

"Oh, that... The humans usually gives me pretty jewelry every time they visit. The gems seem to be kind of common from where they are, but mostly iron."

"Makes sense."

"Anyway, those humans were pretty interesting. Mom told me they were from another kingdom, and that made me pretty interested in things from outside the Hidden Kingdom. Especially those tales that seem to be from a fairy tale or at least a fantasy game."

Sonia continue to listen.

"I just started out small by just trying to learn about one country: Japan. It kind of helped that I have the internet as my companion." Hope said with sparkling eyes. "I can't remember too many things about it. Just the language, a few bit of the culture, folklore, and mostly the anime. Especially the anime." Hope said.

"Where did the humans come from?" Sonia ask, picking a few crumbs on her dress.

"Well-"

Hope was about to open her mouth until she look at the clock and said, "Sorry, Sonia. Have to go..."

As Hope got off the bed, Sonia said, "Wait! What about those humans!?"

"Maybe next time." Hope said, walking away.

Yaksha pet Sonia's head as Sonia's mouth was wide open in shock. Once Hope left, Yaksha close Sonia's mouth.


	7. Cake

A nice feeling of calmness came over the female pilot of the Air Force, eating a piece of chocolate cake with her fuzzy, pink and white friend by her side. Rosefinch was in the Air Force's break room with Hope. The pilot was usually busy, but she was actually been able to have a break.

_That reminds me. Why have the war been so calm lately? _Rosefinch thought.

"I don't know." Hope said.

"Huh?" Rosefinch said, surprised that Hope answered her thought.

"I didn't say anything."

A look of innocent was on Hope's face as she ate the chocolate cake she brought.

_I swear. I think she's smarter than she looks. I think she reads minds. Maybe I should be careful what I think. _Rosefinch thought.

"Actually, I just read the stories sometimes, but I'm only allow to read a few chapters of it." Hope innocently said, wiping off a piece of icing off her face.

There was a shocked but deadpan look on Rosefinch's face as she thought, _Or maybe she's a little more crazy than I thought._

There was some silence between them until a question popped in the female pilot's mind.

"Hope, how are you going to pay for that airplane ticket to Japan?" Rosefinch ask.

"Well, I've been working at Vocaloid Castle as a maid." Hope said.

_Vocaloid Castle? Oh yeah. That vacation house those pop stars stay at. It seems to be kind of stupid to have a vacation house where a war is happening. They should have picked a safer location or at least research where their vacation home is going to be. _Rosefinch thought, slowly eating her chocolate cake.

"Well, they didn't know." Hope said, making the pilot think about that 'mind reading' theory might be true. "They were nice enough to give me some money to clean their place while they're gone. Also, they would give me these cool toy-tools that helps me make my bento lunches look cute."

"Bento lunches?" Rosefinch said, not knowing that type of lunch.

"It's just a boxed lunch. Sometimes, people make the food look cute. Since I'm trying to at least make something that's not sweets related, I thought making bento lunches would be a good practice for me. With those toy-tools, it will help me a bit to make them cuter."

"Toy-tools?"

"Just something I like to call them. Some are like different shaped hole punchers that punches out the food into different faces or things or molds that can help make rice balls look like cute characters' heads."

_Sometimes, I wonder how you're able to get this kind of information. Oh yeah, the internet. What a strange thing. Wait a minute, how does the internet even exist in the Hidden Kingdom? _Rosefinch thought.

Rosefinch took a bite out of her cake as Hope said, "Don't you think it been strangely calm lately?"

The female pilot nodded.

"Why's that?" Hope ask.

All the pilot could do was a small shrug. No one knows the answer to that. It's just been calm lately.

The pilot soon notice the pink and white monkey taking a piece of vanilla cake out of her basket.

"How much sweets can you eat?" Rosefinch ask.

"I don't know." Hope said.

There was silence between them until Hope finishes her cake.

Hope blinked a few times, then said, "I think I should go."

The pilot watch as the pink and white monkey walk away with her basket. Rosefinch tilted her head a bit and thought, _I've always thought she was strange, but at least she's nice at the same time._


	8. A Muffin

Apetrully heard the front door open as he turn his head towards the door. Hope came in as she let out a small yawn. With a rather big smile on her face, Hope said, "Hi, Apetrully."

"Did you already say goodbye to everyone?" Apetrully ask.

"Well... Almost everyone..." Hope said, glancing at the window to see the sky have darken. "I don't have enough time to say goodbye to everyone in Big Green. Also, I'm getting very full from all the sweets I was eating with everyone."

"Oh..."

Apetrully stiffen up when Hope wrap her arms around his shoulders and said, "It was so sweet of you to take care of the tree house for me while I was gone."

A small, light pink blush appear on the commander's face as he said, "It was nothing. Nothing special happened, so it was pretty easy."

Hope let out a giggle and walk towards the kitchen. Apetrully sighed, glancing at the side of the couch he was sitting on. He notice the picnic basket Hope was carrying before next to him. His eyes shift around and open the basket.

Beside the dirty dishes in the basket and a few desserts that wasn't finishes, the commander notice a muffin with bits of blueberries sticking out of it. Apetrully jumped when Hope shouted from the kitchen, "You can have that one! That one is good. Derpy said so."

Apetrully sweatdropped on how Hope know he wanted the muffin, and wonder who this 'Derpy'. Then the commander took a bit out of the blueberry muffin as Hope came in with a cup of milk.

"How was your goodbyes to everyone?" Apetrully ask.

"Good, including some talks with them." Hope said. "Especially a nice talking with Lin Chung."

"What was it about?"

"It's personal, so I can't tell you."

The commander raise an eyebrow. Hope did told him a couple of personal things in the past, but how personal is this talk Hope and Lin Chung had? What was it about anyway? Was it important?

_Well, Hope does hide a couple of things about herself, so maybe I shouldn't push her into telling me. _Apetrully thought.

"I will miss you until I come back." Hope said, then sip her cup of milk.

"I will miss you too." Apetrully said, looking at his feet.

Hope smiled and softly said, "Remember the moments we had, and time might go by quickly."

The pink and white monkey's pink eyes landed on the digital clock on the wall, which says, **7:25 PM **in white. The female monkey turn towards the commander, and said, "I think it's best you should leave now. It's getting pretty dark."

Apetrully let out a soft sigh and said, "Okay."

The two say their goodbyes as Apetrully exit the tree house. The commander look at the bitten muffin he still had and thought, _I will miss you Hope. You're a nice sweetheart, but you will come back._


End file.
